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Lectures in Landscape and Urban Design

Unlike most hardscaped elements, softscaping requires constant
management from the homeowner on a monthly, bi-weekly, or even weekly
basis if you want your yard to maintain its beauty and appeal.
Softscaping elements will add color and beauty to your landscape, and
hardscaping elements add focal points, access, and practicality to your
design.

The Importance of Balancing Hardscape and Softscape
The ideal landscape incorporates elements from both categories. A design
that mostly focuses on rocks, gravel, a large paved driveway, and other stone
features is hardscape overkill, which is hard on the eye. Conversely, a yard
that is overflowing with trees, shrubs and flowers without any walkways or
walls to break up the growth can look like an out of control jungle you want
to steer clear of. The happy medium lies in a tranquil balance of soft and
hard features that creates harmony. The result is an inviting space you and
your guests will want to enter and enjoy.

The five Basic Elements of Landscape Design

An aesthetic landscape design incorporates five key elements: line, form,
texture, color and scale. The perfect balance of these design features appeals
to the eye and brings harmony to a space.

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Dr. Sherein El-Shahat